#8 fans check this out

[NAPAFISH]

Harv' Limit check out this article

There are, like, 2,000 people here (someone from the venue asked Junior's people for an autographed hat for the fire marshal). Junior's relaxed. He makes jokes about drinking in bars at Daytona. The crowd roars in response; he's like them. That's the attraction. He's accessible, more so, it seems, than others. For instance: There's a Web site that allows you to track private aircraft. Type in his plane's tail number — N8JR — and it will show where he is going. Now, type in, say, N24JG — Jeff Gordon's tail number — and it reads: "This flight is not available for tracking per request from the owner/operator."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. might own a Busch team, and he might want a future. But he will still hang with a bunch of good ol' boys and drink 'til the sun comes up. He might break into a friend's house and spread water and flour everywhere, you know, because it's funny. Ask him about the time he and some other drivers went to Panama City, Fla., and almost burned the place down.

"Nothing Budweiser would really be ashamed of," he cracks. "We got kicked off the pay ride go-karts. Went in the bars and danced our (Contact Us Please) off with a bunch of girls."

Despite all his growing up, the old Junior is still beneath the business cards and adult transactions. He'll reach all his dreams someday. But right now, he's in the middle, no longer the boy he left behind and not yet the man he wants to become. He has more growing to do. The process hasn't ended.

When he had to address his employees after letting his driver go? He said he was hung over.

His pops called his yacht Sunday Money. Junior? He named his Sheezahooker and parked it in his mama's yard as a joke. (The smaller boat that goes with it is named Heezadinghy.)

He gets after it. Only now, when his boys call to see if he wants to throw down, he has to check his online calendar. If the next morning is free, and if it's before Wednesday, look out. He's got a boxing ring in his house, and, at his 30th birthday party got into it with Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down, boxer Arturo Gatti and bull rider Ross Coleman. It was, like, 5 a.m. Arnold kept losing a contact, and Junior got laid out by Coleman. He had a black eye at that week's race.

"I still do s--- now that I would do when I was 25," he says, "and I'm like, 'Why the f--- did I do that?' You know, when I go raise hell until 9 o'clock in the morning, party all night. That (Contact Us Please) Red Bull will get your (Contact Us Please)."

There are all sorts of stories about his dad running rental cars ragged, wrecking four-wheelers and acting like an adolescent. One man burning up an engine is another man guzzling Red Bull. One man's Sunday Money is another man's Sheezahooker. Junior is the way he is for a reason. Rebellion flows through his veins. The crowd at the Long Island Irish bar loves that about him; everyone screams until he walks off the stage, down the stairs, into the night.

(from espn)

Sheezahooker gotta love it!!!!

This is my favorite driver

[LMITOUT]

....and it's a wonder why he's the most popular driver at the track every week.

Some say he inherited all of his dad's fans.....well, he probably did. Why? Because he's one in the same....a guy that you could probably hang out with on a Friday night and isn't above his fans.

He has sponsors that people use such as Bud, Wrangler, Remington, Bass Pro Shops, etc. Products that a large portion of the NASCAR demographic can relate to. It's just the natural selection of who to root for. Sure he hasn't won any championships in his relatively short career but he is still someone that you can cheer for every week and almost feel like you know the guy. That's why I like him and I wish there were more of those guys out there every race.

Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunior!!

[eyepatrol]

I'm not a huge Junior fan, but I don't dislike him as I do the 20 or the 16, 17, 29 or 7. IMO, I don't care who ya are, you gotta like his personality. I've always said this....he's about the most up-front no talk tell it how it is kind of guy in pro sports anywhere. I respect him for that. And it's cool that he has fun the way he does....sounds like a great time hanging out with him.

I don't say this too often, but GOOD ONE NAPA!

[harvey lee]

He is his own man. How can one find fault with what he does.He lives his dream and has fun also.

[Uncle Bill]

Post deleted by Uncle Bill

[LMITOUT]

Yeah, I'm sure............

[harvey lee]

UncleBill

What article did you read that in as I would like ti read the whole thing and also the track it was at.

Thanks

[eyepatrol]

Quote:

---

One of Jr.'s body guards gives the chick a forearm smash to the chest knocking her on her azz. She begins to cry. Jr. smiles and says sorry, as speeds off.

---

Two things about this, if it's even true:

1) Jr. wasn't the one who gave her a forearm smash, it was the body guard.

2) Just because he sped away doesn't mean he was trying to flee the scene or not be apologetic....sounds like everyone was already late and there wasn't time to stick around for long extended apologies and such.

More than likely though, if this did happen, I think we would have heard more about it. I hadn't ever heard a thing about this. So I'd question its legitimacy.

[Uncle Bill]

Post deleted by Uncle Bill

[harvey lee]

I am not saying this didnt happen.It could have but almost always there is the press that picks up on everything.I was not there that day so I dont know what really happenedto her.If the body guard did it one cannot blame Jr. for others actions.If he did it then that would have been a different story and I am sure the press would of had a field day with it and Nascar also.

[TNFL]

He seems more liek your spoiled teenage brat to me.

[eyepatrol]

Well okay, so it did happen, you just didn't mention that you were there and knew the person it happened to. I wouldn't have said that I question the legitimacy if you would have just mentioned that right from the get-go.

The fact of the matter still remains the same though as HL said. It wasn't Junior who did it and you can't always control the actions of others. It's unfortunate that it happened, but it doesn't bear on the classiness of Junior....it bears on the classiness of the person (the body guard) who did it.

And ya know, if I had the time to take off and the money to go to a race, I would do it in a hearbeat. But our time and finances are reserved for other more important things right now. But just because I wasn't at the particular race where this incident happened doesn't give cause to criticize me for not going to a race. Some day I will and maybe I'll get to see what really goes on, but that day isn't in the near future.

[LMITOUT]

Funny how these threads spiral out of control when it's about the #8. Mostly to get away from the original subject of how he's just one of the guys and that people LIKE him. Always trying to discredit him. Don't hate the player, hate the game!

Maybe with an attitude change certain members of "Team Sideburn" would be popular too!

Great article NAPAFISH!! Just more proof for the haters why he's the fan favorite!

Never knew a lot of spoiled brats from NC, but sure know of a lot from Californee....

[Sifty]

I really think the younger people that like him, like him because he is the exect oppisite of the other drivers. He is not into the corporate world. Yet. He is till young enough to go out and have a beer or two and does'nt have a family to look after.

If we all look back before the wife and kids came along some of our lifes involed the things he is doing now.

The thing that seems to concern me the most is that most of us are agreeing with NAPAFISH. Looks like it time to have a few at his place.

Sifty

[PierBridge]

Quote:

---

Funny how these threads spiral out of control when it's about the #8.

---

In all fairness Uncle Bill does wreck "troll" the Gordon threads also so he is consistant.

I highly doubt it happened.

Great story Napa....thanks....

[Uncle Bill]

Post deleted by Uncle Bill

[harvey lee]

As I read all the posts on this subject I still am at a loss for what Jr DIDNT do.If someone does something with or around myself that does not make me the villian does it?

The people that love jr talk about him and so do the ones that dont and even maybe more.He is a popular fellow.

[eyepatrol]

I still can't figure out why UB you hold this instance against Junior? It was the body guard who did it as you said, not Junior. If you were shot by a guy and you saw who he was along with the guy standing next to him, would the guy next to him be the one to blame? Of course not. You would blame the guy who pulled the trigger. Put the blame where it deserves to be....on the body guard and not Junior. And just because someone hasn't been to a NASCAR cup race, doesn't mean their thoughts or comments should be discredited. You make it sound as though a person cannot be a NASCAR fan and make comment on the sport and doesn't know a thing about NASCAR unless they've been to a race. Going to a race and watching from the stands doesn't make any one person better or all that more knowledgable than the other. You said it yourself that you didn't even see the incident, so you're accepting a one-sided story. There are always two sides to the story, and maybe what happened wasn't intentional? Perhaps the body guard was simply trying to hold people back away from Junior and not push them down. Who's to say what exactly happened without actually being there and seeing it for yourself?

I'm just not seeing your problem here.....you're putting the onus on Junior for something he didn't even do. Something someone else did which Junior had no control over.

[Uncle Bill]

Post deleted by Uncle Bill

[harvey lee]

He sat and smiled as his fans were being pummelled. He did the right thing. Jr. is wonderful.

Sounds to me that if numerous fans were pummled that assault charges should have been filed.

Were you right there to see this take place or are you going by word of mouth???

I am all mixed up.You stated that the girl came back crying and you stated that all things are not on T.V.Now,how do you know that Jr was sitting and smiling as this went on if you were not there?

[PERCHJR]

Very good story NAPA!!! It seems to me that everyone, other than UNCLEBILL knows a little about NASCAR, he seems to be a little TROLL hiding in the closet and comes out to start a bunch of "talk" on a very good and true story!!! Guess your driver isn't in the chase this year HUH, UNCLEBILL???

One more thing the name of NASCAR, "EARNHARDT" and it will always be!!!

Sled

[NAPAFISH]

Settle down guys, lets not start a [PoorWordUsage]ing match here.

If the story is true, which it very well could be. I am willing to bet that this stuff happens more often than we realize. Being the most popular driver, he would always attract a larger crowd, more likely for incidents to happen. I am sure if you had asked the security guard or bodygaurd you would hear a different story maybe??

I orginally posted this story to share some things that he does away from the track. It just seems like hes your average kind of guy. From the stories I have read, he really doesnt seem that spoiled to me. I dont in anyway believe he was babied, more protected than anything. I was watching a film clip from his first Cup/Winston race, during the race Sr. had drove up along side of him and gave him a big rub and almost spun him out. After he won his first race at the Winston level, Sr. got out of his car walked over and spoke into his ear "Find your own way home"

Great stuff!!!!

[eyepatrol]

Tough love.

[NAPAFISH]

So if someone can show me a non-hollywood, regular Joe, non SNL, Jeff Gordon story maybe I would re-evaluate

[eyepatrol]

I've never heard of him having a Junior-like story. It would surprise me a little if there was one. He just doesn't come across to me as a guy who would let loose too much, and especially not in public. I think he's puckered up pretty tight. He's still my favorite though.